What is an accessible shower, and how do we fit one?
Having a shower is an essential part of most people’s day. Many of us choose to start or finish the day with a shower, and it doesn’t feel right if we miss out on it. However, for people with lower mobility, this can become impossible. If you struggle to stand in the shower, enter the bath or have other difficulties with mobility, then having a traditional shower can be very difficult. Bathroom Mobility Manchester are experts in helping people get the bathroom that they need, whatever their circumstances are.
What is an accessible shower?
An accessible shower is one that is designed for use by people who may have problems with accessing and using a traditional shower. This could be for a variety of reasons. There are more than 14 million people in the UK who could be described as ‘disabled’. Many of these people may not be able to use a traditional shower. Equally, there are a great many more people than that who may have mobility issues that prevent them from using a traditional shower.
Do I need a shower or a wet room?
There are significant overlaps between the design of accessible showers and wet rooms. However, there are differences in who the two types of bathroom are designed for.
An accessible shower is an enclosed shower that is more accessible than a traditional shower. You still need to be able to enter the enclosed area in order to have a shower. This enclosed shower area may have a seat, or may simply have a lower step.
A wet room is designed for people who have mobility issues , and cannot enter an enclosed shower. They are particularly suitable for people who use wheelchairs, and need a zero threshold entrance.
Features of an accessible shower:
- Entrance / Threshold
An accessible shower’s entrance needs to allow access to a wider variety of people than a traditional shower. Generally, this is either a wider than usual entrance to allow a wheelchair to pass through, or a lower than usual entrance to be easier to step over.
- Seat
Many people who use an accessible shower might find it hard to stand for the length of a shower. Shower seats provide people with the opportunity to sit in the shower if they need to rest, or for the length of the shower if that is easier. There are a range of shapes and sizes used in an accessible shower, with fitted bench style seats being among the most popular.
- Shower head
If you need to sit during a shower, then a traditional wall mounted shower head might not be reachable, or otherwise comfortable to use. A shower head that is mounted lower down, or an a longer hose is likely to be more usable for people with mobility issues.
- Controls
The same issue is likely to be true of many supposedly ‘accessible’ showers. There is no use adding easy access and a shower seat if the user cannot reach the controls without reaching dangerously far for them. An accessible shower needs to have controls installed within easy and safe reach of where the user will actually be.
- Storage
Think about where you keep your shower related accessories – shampoo, soap, razors and the like. If you need to sit during a shower, or you have limited mobility, then you need these items to be storable somewhere within easy reach.
Fitting an accessible shower
Making a bathroom more accessible is an in-depth process. It is not simply a case of fitting one element like an accessible shower. It requires a complete re-think of how the bathroom is laid out. At Bathroom Mobility Manchester, we specialise in helping people find the right accessible bathroom for them. We work with you to identify the elements that would help you most in your bathroom, and then source and fit that perfect bathroom for you.
